Cat's Eye
by Egyptian Princess of 1290 bc
Summary: A new mummy has risen, bringing up ancient mistakes. Basically a Rick/Evy fluff with a little plot for drama. Deals with their previous lives in ancient Egypt. Rating may change.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello readers welcome! It has been 6 years since I wrote my last Mummy fic, because quite frankly the fandom has run dry on ideas and seems to be repeating the same one over and over again, I have seen like 3 originals and that's it, the rest are just…I digress. Anyways, my muse threw this up in my lap. You can read if you'd like, you can review…I'd like that. Naturally reviews aid my muse.**

**Basically this is like a giant Rick/Evy love story with some plot thrown in for the mix. I made it to fit between the 2****nd**** and 3****rd**** film, but if you want to consider the 3****rd**** trash, like I do, please go right ahead. Obviously in my mind Evy is Rachel Weisz…so yeah HER! Not the other one. Takes place 4 years after Mummy Returns**

**Egypt 1937 AD—Unknown Amount of Miles from Memphis**

Evelyn looked up from her position at the camp, in the distance her husband of 13 years worked hard under the unforgiving Egyptian sun along side his bemoaning brother-in-law chipping away at a 3,000-year-old relic. Her hand rested atop her now 12-year-old, as he worked away on his studies. Though smart for his age, the boy had just been kicked out of his current boarding school for gambling and his failing grades. He had been sent home mid-year, intruding on his parent's excavation plans along with punishing his uncle, who had been accused to of teaching the boy to gamble in the first place.

"You don't have to watch over me, you know?" The boy asked never once raising his head from his book as he pulled his hand away from his mothers.

"Really?" Evy fought back. It seemed the older he got the more like his uncle he became, honoree and sarcastic. "Because it appears every time I look away, you've gotten yourself into some form of trouble."

"It's the God forsaken desert, mum. How much trouble can I really get into?" He shot back, lifting his head to make eye contact with her for the first time in hours.

Evy smiled to herself. He was the spitting image of his father, but somedays she swore he was Jonathan's son. She supposed that was her own fault for leaving a young Alex with his uncle so frequently all those years ago. Part's of Jonathan's behavior and mannerisms were bound to rub off on such an impressionable child.

"Language." She exhaled, tired of telling him, tired of fighting him. Her son was growing up, as much as she hated to admit it. After her parents had died, she fought Jonathan at every turn she could, now it seemed karma was catching up to her.

"Mum!" He groaned, turning his back to her.

"Alright, I can see when I'm not wanted."

Alex watched from his peripheral vision as his mother got up and walked away from the campsite towards his father. He rolled his eyes and slammed the book shut harshly, groaning as he relaxed on the shaded desert sand and looked up to the top of the tent, he was in. If he hadn't been so good at poker, he wouldn't have beat Howard Higgins, causing the poor sport to run to the headmaster to rat him out. He also wouldn't have been so hell bent on winning that he may have noticed his grades slipping before it was too late. No, instead he was here, in the middle of the Egyptian desert, AGAIN! Saddled with his parents and a resenting uncle.

While his Uncle Jon loved him as if he were his own son, the man could be a bit of a child at times. When his sister had announced she was forcing both himself and Alex to Egypt with them as a punishment, he nearly flipped his lid. Yelling at his sister and calling her every name he could deem appropriate without completely ruining their relationship. He would have continued too, if Rick hadn't seen the hurt on his wife's face and intervened, making it clear all four would be traveling to the O'Connell's favorite continent. Jonathan had barely spoke to anyone, which was a miracle all its own and would have been humorous under any other circumstances.

Alex was startled from his train of thought and his eyes flew open when he felt a large mass fall against his side.

"She'll be angry if she catches you sleeping when you should be studying." Jonathan mumbled, exhaustion in his voice.

"What concern is it of yours?" Alex shot back, his eyes flying closed as he attempted to rub his back deeper into the sand for both comfort and emphasis on his lack of consideration when it came to anyone's thoughts.

"I'm sorry, Alex. It's been a rotten few months." He sounded sincere now, sincere and broken. Silently begging with his only companion for an ear to listen to and possibly a shoulder to cry on. A moment of nostalgia from when Alex was younger and both males would rely on one another for solace and to unburden their problems to the world.

Upon hearing how depressed the older man sounded, Alex opened his eyes once again and attempted to sit up, showing his uncle he had his undivided attention. The man had just broken up with his first serious girlfriend since…ever, according to Evy. He looked morose and defeated, like a kicked puppy. Though still swimming in millions from the diamond he got back at Ahm Shere, he still went about his days as if something were missing. Ahm Shere, that's a place no one spoke of, it was a silent agreement amongst the family. Jonathan had unloaded the diamond on the first Billionaire to make an offer, happy to have the cash and be rid of the cursed relic. Ever since the "incident" Jonathan had seemed different, then again watching your own sister die right before your eyes does tend to leave a lasting impression on someone. For weeks after they arrived home, all 3 men kept an eye on the woman, afraid that at any moment it would have all been a dream and she'd be cold and lifeless yet again.

"It's been a rotten few years." He spoke up in agreement. Both of them knew what he referred to, but kept it again, laced in silence.

"Hannah said my lack of ability to 'allow myself to be happy' is because of some traumatic experience I hold myself responsible for. That I'm punishing myself."

"Well who the hell is she to say so? Sigmund Freud?" Both men shared a hearty laugh together before falling silent, it was uncomfortable, the day looming in the air between them. "It's not your fault Uncle Jon."

It didn't need to be said, they both knew it. It had been a freak happenstance, none of it should have ever happened. But it had, and things had turned out ok in the end. Jonathan nodded, trying to hold his tears back, no doubt seeing his sister laying on her back and blood pouring from her stomach in his mind's eye. Alex rubbed his eyes, trying to stop his own tears before they fell.

"It scared me Alex." His voice was rough with emotion. "I barely remember a life without her. It was lonely, I remember that, but I was 7 and she came along. Things were better, even if I hated her at first." He chuckled softly at this, getting a genuine chortle from his nephew. "But if something had happened to her…and stayed that way…" He trailed off, hard to say the next words, but knowing right now he had to say them. Had to get this off his chest. The past few days had been tension filled and if he didn't get this out, he feared it may only get worse. "I don't know what I would have done. I wouldn't know how to go from your uncle to your father."

Alex nodded, he understood. If his mother had stayed there, buried below the sand, his father would have stayed with her, or returned home to die of a broken heart. It seemed Evelyn Carnahan O'Connell was Rick's only reason to live, everyone knew it and wouldn't have blamed him for anything he might have done.

"I don't blame you." Alex whispered.

"Well of course not. You're just a young lad, your mother though…I feel like I disappointed her. I'm supposed to be a good role model for you, instead I get you kicked out of school."

"I got myself kicked out, let's remember that.

"Doing things I taught you! I need her to know, if worse comes to worse, you're in good hands with me. I need her to know she doesn't need to be watching us both like…this." He gestured to the space around him.

"I suppose it didn't do the best job showing I'm mature enough either." Jonathan merely nodded in agreement. "So what now?"

"I'm not sure, but whatever it is, we owe your mum a big apology."

"Later." Alex said looking in the direction Jonathan had come from not long ago, only to see his mom and dad wrapped in each other's arms.

"Bloody hell!" he yelled, pulling the couple away from one another. "You would think after 13 years together, they would be sick of one another by now." Alex laughed outright at that.

Evy had approached Rick, her hand running softly from his shoulder down to his forearm where she used minimal strength to pull his attention towards her. He had allowed her, her touch sending goosebumps along his skin, despite the heat of the sun. She wore a long sleeve white shirt and he skillfully unbuttoned the cuff along her wrist with one hand, slowly bringing the skin to his mouth to place light nips and kisses along her pulse point.

"Oh Pul-eze." Jonathan groaned, dropping his shovel and heading towards the tent his nephew appeared to be napping in.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Rick asked, ignoring his brother-in-law and waiting until he was out of earshot before pulling his wife close to his arms and kissing her.

"Your son hates me." She muttered pulling away, her face falling.

"I'm sure he doesn't, he's just at that age where he hates everything." He placed a kiss atop her forehead pulling her close.

"What have you been digging up over here for me?" She asked, desperate to change the subject and looking over his arm.

"This is a huge slab of I don't know what."

"We've been married thirteen years and you still can't make any of these symbols out?" She joked getting on her knees to examine the large slab of limestone covered in hieroglyphics.

"You know I only speak, terrible French, broken Arabic and American." He joked. Before coming to stand beside her. "What's it say? You know what, take your time, read it first, don't go saying anything out loud." She beamed at him, before turning back to the work before her.

He stood by her in silence as she read in silence and was amazed she was able to make anything of it. He would always be astounded by her intelligence. Granted, her beauty is what drew him to her all those years ago in a dirty Cairo prison. The most beautiful flower growing in the dark despair of the world, unaware of the horrors surrounding her. He had known in that moment, if he could just kiss her, he could die a happy man, having tasted something so sweet and pure. What he didn't anticipate was growing addicted to her, needing her like a dying man needs air, oh, but what an addiction to have.

As he had gotten to know her during their first trip to Hamunaptra, he knew there was more than met the eye with her. She was beautiful, but unaware of her own looks, hiding behind baggy clothes and unflattering hairstyles. After seeing his reaction to her in the boudin dress, he noticed she made more of an effort to show off her looks just for him. At first, he wasn't sure, but one night after a man had made a comment on her beauty, she had quickly grabbed Rick's jacket from its place on a nearby chair to cover herself up.

They had spent the rest of the night in each other's company talking about their past. Every time she opened her mouth, he hung onto every word. Even as she told him about the books she read, things she learned, he knew she was much more than just a pretty face, and her show of knowledge during their time with Imhotep was more than just for show. She truly was the definition of beauty and brains.

"It more or less tells the story of a queen." She finally spoke, pulling him back to the present. "There were very little Queens who ruled on their own terms in ancient Egypt. Cleopatra is the most commonly known one, Nefertiti obviously and Hatshepsut, who posed as a man and was almost erased from history thanks to her son."

"So, who is this Queen then?"

"Her name isn't written, but it goes on to explain that she came to be during Rameses the second's reign. Not a child though."

"Are they sure? Didn't you say he had almost 200 kids?"

"If not, more. But no, this explains she was a relative, though not a direct descendant. She was jealous, believed the throne was hers. She attempted to kill Ramses the Second's first-born child and nearly succeeded before being banished from Thebes."

"Well that's fucked up." Evy looked up to him, a somewhat disappointed look on her face. "Well it is."

"Now I see where Alex gets his tongue."

"Oh, don't give me that, you're no saint when it comes to your mouth." A deep blush covered her cheeks as she got to her feet and approached him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"At least I'm woman enough to keep it in the bedroom." She muttered, bringing her lips to meet his in a sensual kiss.

"That's for your own good, imagine how I would react if you didn't."

"You're incorrigible." She gave him a mischievous grin before bringing his mouth down to meet hers more intimately.

"Bloody hell!" Evy quickly pulled away from Rick, wiping her lipstick back into place before turning back to the slab.

"I'm gonna kill your brother." Rick muttered.

"Best not, we owe him. Not many places around here to finish what we start."

"I guess you're right."

Evy immediately fell to her knees and continued to read the large slab over. A story of a young girl left abandoned by her family, cast aside by the pharaoh for her heinous crime against the throne, only to find her footing miles from home, here in Memphis. It went on to explain of a deal she made with Bast in exchange for revenge against Rameses and his family, how her failure to commit to her side of the bargain led her soul being returned to the underworld to serve out her afterlife awaiting for the right person to come along.

"She's cursed." Evy finally spoke up.

"Who?" Rick asked looking in the distance as the sun was starting to go down for the night.

"Her name is only labeled as Bayata, meaning 'from nothing'. The Goddess Bast placed a curse on her and it's written here if her soul is ever disturbed, she will exact her revenge on the first ones she sees."

"I swear to God, Evy. If we wake up another Mummy, I'm done with Egypt." Evy chuckled as she rose to her feet and grabbed her husbands' hand, leading him back to camp where Jonathan and their son sat talking.

"There are mummies buried all over the world, not just Egypt. The chances of this curse being like the others is…nearly impossible."

"I used to think that too, until we saw it happen...twice…then again with some bug guy."

"Rick, the hieroglyphics clearly states only the blood of a descendant can awaken her."

"Wasn't Nefertiri the sister of Rameses the Second?" Evy's face perked up in surprise, shocked her husband remembered anything she said regarding history, not knowing he remembered everything she ever told him.

"Technically yes, but she bore no children, she was killed only a year after her brother took the throne."

"Wonder why."

"After some extensive research, I found it was for having an affair with a Medjai. Back then some of the men took an oath of celibacy to honor their pharaoh. Nefertiri just knew how to pick them." Rick chuckled at her joke, noticing her thumb was circling his wrist, next to the leather that covered his tattoo.

No doubt she had more or less convinced herself that in her past life she had seduced him away from his oath of purity and given herself over to him. He had not doubt they were lovers in a past life. From the moment he first had her, he knew it was somehow familiar. Like he had come home after years of never knowing where be belonged. He held so firmly to the belief that they belonged that after only knowing her for 2 months, and one night of lowered judgement, he knew he had to marry her.

"Evy? What if…Nefertiri did have children?"

"It would have been a disgrace, to have the child of the Pharaoh's Protector? They both would have been…"

"Killed?" He got out.

"No doubt, yes. Not to mention the child's existence would have been erased from history to avoid any kind of scandal. But that was so long ago, the blood has no doubt been filtered out. There is no possible way anyone alive today has the ability to awaken her. IF she even is here. I can only imagine, if she lived long enough to get this far, someone might have removed her."

"I hope your right." Rick said as they reached the camp and sat opposite Jonathan and Alex.

Alex was the first to speak up, offering his apology while Rick and Jonathan attempted to build a fire for the night. Evy listened with only half attention as Jonathan joined in with his own absolution. She felt bad for not giving them her full attention, but she felt an uncomfortable feeling brawl through her as she looked on in the distance and noticed a statue of Bast standing tall amongst the rubble. Her cat eyes bore into her soul, welcoming her into the darkness. Evy blamed the chill on the weather rapidly growing cold with the sun almost all the way on the other side of the horizon and accepted both apologies given to her from her son and brother. She pushed Rick's earlier words into the back of her brain and allowed herself to enjoy the fire that had been built.

**Naturally, none of this is real. I'm not even sure Bayata is a real word, but for the sake of my work….it is here.**

**Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**So! In the mummy Seti dies in 1290 BC, in reality he took the throne in 1290 and died in 1279. I don't think whoever got the timelines for the film realized in BC the years went backwards. So on that note, we are just going to roll with it and say he died in 1290 as well for this story. Also, just in case it wasn't obvious…I do not own the characters or anything. So yeah, don't sue me…I got enough problems in my life. **

Evy was pulled from her deep sleep later that night, her head rose from her husband's chest, his arm firmly around her waist while the other held his shotgun close. She allowed her vision to clear and took in the camp, curious what had risen her. At the far end of the tent Alex slept soundly, the rise and fall of his blanket told her he was deep in dreamland, a few feet from him Jonathan snored on. She was about to lower her head back onto her husband's chest when the feeling of being watched struck her. She shifted quietly from her husband's hold, soothing him back to sleep as his grip on his gun tightened as he stirred awake as well.

"Shh, it's alright, it's just me." She whispered patting his chest to assure him.

"Don't be gone long." He mumbled back, relaxing his body and falling back asleep.

Evy quietly stepped away from the campsite, walking not far off to where the statue of Bast in cat form stood. Her eyes seemed to reach into her soul, her heart raced as she stared into the statue's eyes. She knew she was being ridiculous, knew this was all in her head, yet what had brought her here?

Bembridge Scholars had reached out to her only last week, expressing the urgency and importance of getting an excavation team down here to unearth what they believed could have been the greatest find next to King Tut. As the second in command to the curator, Evy had been volun-told to lead the team, much to Rick's dismay, they were back on Egyptian soil before he could fully argue. The team would be arriving bright and early tomorrow, or in a few hours, depending on the time. Evy had been more than happy to be home, but the memories of what had once happened here still haunted her, as she was sure it did everyone else.

Egypt had once been a place of comfort for her, a complete 180 turn from the world of London. Her history was here, her family had been at one time too, she met her husband here, birthed her only child. Now, it had been soiled with one horrible incident. What was once happy memories of beauty, love and excitement were tainted with the thought of her blood covering the golden sands, every time she closed her eyes the look on Rick's face as she lay in his arms dying haunted her. Her final breath was his own, if not for Alex's quick thinking, her then 8-year-old son would have returned home an orphan.

Rick had barely left her side the entire 3 days they had been here and was extra cautious of anything that may be of a threat. When they had arrived onsite, her heart had sang, she didn't know how to explain it, but she was meant to be here. She had hid this from everyone, naturally. After her dreams had led to her death and resurrection, she refused to let any of them in on this sixth sense she seemed to have. She could hear humming in the back of her mind, growing louder and louder as she approached the statue, as if the sound alone willed her feet to move. As she stopped inches from the mouth of the statue, her hand reached out to stroke the stone made cat.

Her fingers ghosted over the hard material before petting the cat with a firmer touch. As her palm made contact the humming sound began to cause vibrations in her chest, as if the ground below her were moving.

"What are you doing?" A voice pulled her out of her trance, the humming stopped, the vibrations ceased and Evy's hand fell to her side.

"What?" She mumbled, believing the statue had been the one to ask such a question.

"Mum? What are you doing?"

Evy turned to see her son standing a few feet from her looking as lost as he had the day she misplaced him in the museum for the first time. He had been 2 years old at the time, Rick had gone with Jonathan back to London to set up the house for their recent move and despite her own better judgement she had brought him along to the Cairo Museum so she could tie up some loose ends before they uprooted their lives. After a frantic search and several tears spilt, he had ended up jumping out from behind a sarcophagus with a look of utter glee on his face.

It had honestly been in that moment she realized Alex was too much like her brother.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine. I just…couldn't sleep and was admiring the craftmanship on this artifact." She quickly thought up.

"Yeah, gorgeous mum. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Perfectly so."

Alex nodded his head before taking his mom by the hand and leading her back to camp. Knowing soon his dad would be up looking for her; the man never slept well without his wife at his side. Alex watched quietly as Evy made her way next to her husband and fell back at his side before he allowed his own eyes to close. He lay there, pretending to sleep, wondering what could have woken him up along with his mother.

With the rising of the sun came another day as well as the excavation team Bembridge Scholars had promised. Evy had started assigning areas to dig while Alex would aid in coding and cataloging any artifacts found that were worth taking back to the British Museum. He sat off in his corner of the tent silently reading over his daily studies when a digger had approached him with a box. He took it graciously and started labeling it in a journal his mother had left behind for him. He marked down the dimensions, its condition and a best description has he had seen his mother do a million times over.

As he cleared sand from the small concrete box and looked over the hieroglyphics etched on the lid, he could feel warmth rising from it with each passing second. Having learned his lesson from previous experiences with boxes and chests, Alex deposited the item into the sand as far away from him as possible, amongst several other trinkets that had been dug up. No way in hell was he going to open that. He did his best to push it from his mind and went back to his studies while in the distance his mother barked out orders in Arabic and English to the diggers.

Jonathan sat under the tent at the opposite end as his nephew and watched as his sister took charge. She was in her element out here amongst the sand and heat. Her long tresses were in a sloppy bun atop her head as she picked up a shovel and started to help the dig along. She had taken up residence at what she believed was the entrance of the tomb and was digging away mercilessly, before dropping her shovel to pick up a pickaxe and started chipping away at the wall.

Jonathan sat up straight and watched in awe-stricken horror as his sister hacked away at a wall as if she were possessed. Her moves were violent and quick, complete disregard for the history in front of her, no care whatsoever. What was she doing? He wondered, she looked to be increasing her speed as a few diggers yelled at her. Each one pleading with her in their native tongue to not destroy the history.

That was so unlike her, Evy was all about preservation of the ruin. Since the time she was a child and they joined their parents on digs, he would always be out to have fun, not caring what he disturbed. While seven years his junior, she chided him like a mother. In fact, that's why he had referred to her as 'Old Mum' for so long, a personal joke between them that she acted far older than her actual age. The name had stopped when she had become a real mother to Alex, suddenly her chiding and discipline fitted her role.

"Mr. O'Connell! MISTER O'CONNELL!" One man yelled to Rick as Evy's efforts became more crazed.

Jonathan hopped up from his seat and ran out to his sisters' side, calling for his brother-in-law as he attempted to approach her. Behind him he could hear footsteps as well and Alex calling out to his father, bless the boy and his vitality, as he was able to rush past Jonathan and was at his mother's side before anyone else. He barely missed being hit on his mother's backswing and with moves he had only ever seen the boy's father used, has wrapped his arms around his mother from behind, stilling her range of movement. He had his fingers wrapped around her wrists and by the time Jonathan approached, he was white knuckled and shocked Evy still managed her grip.

Rick was there only seconds letter ripping the tool from her hand as quickly as possible, but careful not to harm her. Once stripped of her weapon, Evy collapsed out of her son's grip and into her husband's waiting arms. Alex wasted not one second and turned to clear everyone else from the scene. Shouting in Arabic for the diggers to take a break and move alone. Jonathan helped clear everyone away as well, knowing his sister was safest in the embrace of her husband.

"Hey, are you alright?" Rick asked looking her over. She nodded shamefully but managed to look him in the eyes. She looked apologetic but her eyes were dry and distant.

"I can't let them see. They must not know." She whispered to him.

"See what? What are you talking about?" He questioned checking her face for any inclination of what she spoke.

"Her secrets…they die here." She mumbled, pushing past him and placing her hand on the wall she had been attempting to destroy not only minutes before.

Rick followed her hand as it ran over what remained of the hieroglyphics, hoping his limited knowledge could help him make sense about what she was saying. He gasped in surprise and his eyes went wide when he noticed as her hand trailed over the carvings, blood was left behind. She was mumbling something to herself, as if though in a trance as her blood smeared the limestone door.

"Ok, that's enough. No more of that." He said, covering her mouth with his hand and pulling her away from the entrance.

He half walked her, half carried her back to the tent where he pulled out a first aid kit and went about cleaning and binding her hand. The wound was nowhere near as bad as it seemed once the blood was cleaned off and frankly, he was shocked so much had escaped from a wound so small. Nevertheless, he bound her hand in gauze and gave her the canteen to drink some water. He watched her in awe as Alex came over to her side. His hand fell to his mother's chin and raised her head to make eye contact with him.

Her stare was blank and cold. As she locked eyes with her son, she began speaking again. The words were Ancient Egyptian and Alex hung on to each one hoping to try and decipher what his mother was saying. He looked up to his father who looked both petrified and angry, his eyes leaving his wife's to look his son over, begging for any kind of help.

"What's she saying?"

"It's a prayer, a prayer of protection to the Goddess Bastet. '_Beloved Bast, mistress of happiness and bounty, twin of the Sun God, slay the evil that afflicts our minds as you slew the serpent Apep. With your graceful stealth, anticipate the moves of all who perpetrate cruelties and stay their hands against the children of light. Grant us the joy of song and dance, and ever watch over us in the lonely places in which we must walk.'" _Alex translated, confusion as he had never heard this prayer before.

"Why in the bloody hell is she praying to an ancient God for? We were raised Catholic." Jonathan interrupted, his outburst only fueling to the ongoing animosity of the atmosphere surrounding the four of them.

"Rick." She whispered out before collapsing in her husband's arms.

Alex shot to his feet and rushed over to the bag his mother had packed. Rick watched curiously as he dug through his parent's belonging's and returned with a journal his mother had kept.

"Alex, I don't think your mother would appreciate you reading her journal." Rick said lightly tapping his wife's cheeks to try and rise her.

"She keeps notes of everything she finds pertaining to Nefertiri in here. She told me everything she knows about the princess is in here." Alex said as he flipped through pages and walked back over to his parents. Rick sat there in silence as his son skimmed each page searching for an answer. Jonathan bounced on his feet in anticipation. "Here! It says here Nefertiri was a direct line between the people of her father's kingdom and the Goddess, Bastet."

"What does that have to do with your mother?" Jonathan pressed.

"Maybe nothing, but maybe…Nefertiri is trying to warn us of something."

**Thebes 1301 BC**

"Father!" Nefertiri called out, running into her father's waiting embrace.

He had been gone over a month on a crusade to Lower Egypt in hopes of obtaining the land which had once belonged to the kingdom long ago. He had left her eldest brother Rameses the Second in charge while he had been away, the man had taken the role almost too seriously. Though only two years younger than her, as the first born male, she had stripped her of any rights she may have once had to the throne.

Nefertiri smiled as her father hugged her tightly, happy to be back in his kingdom with the people who mattered most. In the distance, Anck-su-namun stood silently, awaiting her lover's daughter to move aside so that she may gaze upon the man she had come to share a bed with. She bowed to her pharaoh from her position far from the immediate family and scowled as Nefertiri's mother came into view, embracing her husband as well and welcoming him home.

Though he had many wives, she had yet to be one of them, dreaming of the day he would take her hand as well before the God's. Instead she was cast aside like sand, his concubines just as abundant. She had been the only one to stay this long and not be made a bride. Anger boiled in her blood, wanting more than to be strung along. She craved the power that came with being one of his queens, longed to bare him a child so she would be seen as worthy enough.

Instead, Anck-su-namun watched on in humiliation. She lowered her head and bowed out of the main hall, desperate to find solace in betrayal. By turning to one of the pharaoh's most trusted High Priests and seeking physical comfort there she felt she still had the upper hand. If he would hurt her this way, she would do the same, even if it was forbidden for her to bed another.

Nefertiri watched as Anck-su-namun bowed out right as her mother and father left as well, leaving her alone. She took in her surroundings to be sure she was alone before fleeing out into the courtyard and away from the palace. Her feet carried her small frame down into the Medjai camp where she witnessed several of her father's bodyguards observing the slaves as they emptied her father's carriage and tended to the horses. Other's where embracing with smiles.

Several of the Medjai had been ordered to leave with her father on the month's journey. One in particular had returned and for the first time she would see him since the last full moon. One of the younger men turned to face her, as his eyes fell upon her and lowered his head in respect of her presence. The other men turned to see who he was bowing too and immediately followed suit.

"My father has sent me here to speak to Rai." She spoke clearly, showing her intentions were of the purest.

The men parted and from amongst them a tall man with sun kissed skin emerged.

"My princess." He bowed deeply for her.

She turned on her heal and walked away, he followed closely behind, watching anyone within an eye's view of her. Cautious if someone would jump out in front of her and attack. He looked on as she led him away from the palace and towards the Nile where she welcomed him with open arms. He looked around to be sure they were alone before falling into her arms. Their lips met as they embraced, his mouth tugging at the skin at her neck while her hands dance upon his.

He was a cursed man, a man who had promised his purity and innocence to Ra in the name of the pharaoh and the throne had become the desire of Egypt's direct line to Bastet. The Goddess of fertility, sexuality and childbirth had sunk her claws into him. She had vowed to never allow another to touch her, but him. Which had served its own problem, if he keeps his vows to Ra, no one would ever touch the pharaoh's daughter. She would forever remain pure and chaste. This would break her vows to Bastet, causing lack of faith in the Goddess to the people. Truly he was in a no-win situation. His own love and lust for the princess did nothing to aid in him keeping his own chastity. He had almost given in to her several times now, and his own limits were close to being reached.

"Have you made up your mind?" She teased him, her hands wondering at his belt along his waist. She would never force herself upon him but allowed him to decide what was best.

"I wish nothing more than to serve at your altar." She smiled brightly, her body humming at his words. "But my vows are strong." Her smile waivered before she kissed him once more and held him to her.

"I respect your wishes. My temple remains yours and yours alone. If and when you are ready to pay tribute…I will be waiting." She placed one more kiss on his before walking back to the palace and leaving him alone amongst the reeds.

**Egypt 1937 AD- unknown number of miles from Memphis.**

Evy stirred in her husband's arms and looked around as the three men in her life were once again staring at her as if she were going to disappear before their very eyes. She looked up at Rick and saw the worry etched on his face. Both Alex and Jonathan had the same looks, she moved to sit up and noticed her hand hurt when she leaned on it. Lifting it up she saw it had been wrapped in gauze and some blood had managed to stain the outer cloth.

"What happened?" She wondered, not knowing how much time was missing from her, but from the looks, a lot had happened.

"What do you remember?" Rick asked brushing a stray lock of hair from her face.

"I was helping the diggers at the entrance. We were close to getting the door completely free of sand. Why?"

"Evy, honey…you fell into some kind of trance. You picked up a pick-axe and started chipping away at the door." She looked at him in shock.

"You almost destroyed all the carvings." Alex chimed in, hoping to help jog her memory, but from the look on her face she was just as lost as before, if not more so.

"Whatever remains is now covered in your blood." Rick whispered nodding to her bandaged hand.

"Why? Why would I do such a thing?" She questioned herself.

"That's not all." Alex got out, he knew he couldn't keep this from her, he knew she had to know everything. "You were praying to Bastet for protection in Ancient Egyptian."

"I was?" All three men nodded in agreement. "Well, let's just hope she grants it to us."

"What do you mean?" Rick said looking to her confused.

"If everything you said is true, then Nefertiri knows whoever is buried here and is trying to make sure no one disturbs them."

"Should we pay heed?" Jonathan asked.

"That's almost impossible Uncle Jon. The door has been unearthed, you can't just clear out a dig funded by George Bembridge, himself, and trust everyone here to just forget it happened. Whatever is under this sand we need to be sure we do not disturb it."

"She won't let me be harmed." Evy muttered, then motioned to her hand. "Not unless its necessary."

"What could be necessary about that?" Rick asked.

He wasn't sure what to believe anymore. Her past life as a princess had become a new obsession for her, oddly enough it had strengthened their sex life as well. She had told him before her past life had been dedicated to only one man, a man of God. Someone she was not meant to be with but was drawn to. She had even once mentioned how in her dreams, he had held a strong resemblance to himself. He hadn't paid any attention to it, figured it had never caused either one of them harm, but now…things had changed. Her blood was staining an ancient wall and her past self was surfacing with prayers and even possibly a warning. When did he draw the line? When was enough, enough? At what point was he to decide to pull her out of the desert and take her back home?

Deep down, he knew he could never do that. This land was her blood, her birth right…for thousands of years it seemed. Even their buddy Ardeth-Bay and convinced him there was merit to everything Evy said. Taking her from this world would only cause her to resent him, and he didn't think he could live with that, he only breathed because of her. Both metaphorically and literally. Without her, he was nothing. She had literally saved him from death at the gallows 13 years ago, and every day her presence pushed air in and out of his lungs.

"I'm not sure." She spoke, answering his question and pulling him out of his thoughts. "However, perhaps it's best if I stay and catalog the artifacts for a while, hmm?" She offered, hoping to settle her husband's fears by promising to not place herself in any more dangerous circumstances, for the time being anyways.

"Sounds good."

"I'll take her place at the door." Alex volunteered all too eagerly. "Could be a few days before we get it opened."

"I'll stay with the lad and help out as best I can as well." Jonathan volunteered.

"Fine, just…don't cut yourself either." Rick nodded them off as he looked back to his wife.

"She loved him so much she promised herself only to him. When she was meant to have as many men as possible and produce an heir to the new pharaoh, she refused. What kind of secret could she had hidden in these sand…hundreds of miles from home?"

"Evy, you and I both know what we are going to find down there. My only concern is that it stays dead, and no more curses follow us home."

"She couldn't have kept it." She shook her head confused, part of her believing her husband was right, the other part terrified he was. "Her father or brother would have ordered its demise. She would have broken her vows to Bastet and her lover would have done the same to Ra. Rick…if there is indeed a child, or adult that connects to Nefertiri or her Medjai lover…we may be dealing with something far stronger than Imhotep. This being, would have been cast aside with no parents, nothing but resentment for the Gods and her own existence. The queen would have nothing to lose."

She sounded terrified as she spoke, her limited knowledge begging to know what had happened thousands of years ago. Their presence in this place made sense now, the Goddess had called back her concubine, had led her right into the clutches of her greatest enemy. Perhaps Bast had taken in the girl after her mother had forsaken both child and Goddess. Maybe the deal the girl couldn't keep was to murder her mother instead of claiming her throne. Blood had been spilt on this land and not just her own. She had a sinking feeling whatever lay beneath the sand needed to be left alone.

"If that's true, Evy, we need to hope we can stop her before she accomplishes whatever she intends to."


	3. Chapter 3

**Thebes 1300 BC**

"What are you doing?" Her stern tone bounced off the marbled walls and echoed loudly in the room. She stood as straight as she could and squared her shoulders to look as intimidating as possible to her supposed threat.

"I heard you were staying late in her temple." The male voice boomed back at her. He turned on his heel and brown eyes met hazel.

"I have much work to complete before the moon wanes." She explained, still looking the tall man over, not once wavering.

"I have come to…discuss…a few things." The man side stepped the main topic.

"Whatever it is Rameses it can wait until morning. I have a few purity rituals to perform in the wake of tomorrows blessings and your presence is tainting the area."

"Nefertiri…please." His voice seemed to break here, and her eyes immediately zoned in on her brother.

"What? Out with it…and hurry."

"You know you are the only one allowed to birth me an heir to the throne, I cannot allow any child from my concubines be known until after our son is born. Nor can I properly take a bride until I am given your hand."

"Please Rameses, father is still a long way from bowing the throne over to you. Any concubine of yours will just have to be patient. I am not yet ready to give my offerings to Bastet in exchange for your healthy heir." She spat back.

"You have been in this temple day after day and night after night, Nefertiri. Surely all your hard work is enough to ask for blessings from the Goddess."

"What I do to honor the Goddess is my business." She ushered him towards the hall leading to the altar room they both stood in.

"The kingdom is starting to talk. A priestess to Bastet and not a single child born from your womb. They will begin to lose faith."

"THEY WILL NOT LOOSE FAITH!" She screamed back, pushing the man twice her size further down the hall. "She gives them healthy homes, beautiful babies and strong men to provide. She protects us! Don't you dare speak ill of my queen in her home!"

Rameses looked his sister over in terror. She had never snapped at him like this, never struck, nor shoved him in anyway other than when they were children. He looked down at her feet as a hiss broke through their silence. At his sister's feet rested an all-black cat, crying out at him and growling while lashing its paw into the air in his direction.

"My apologies, please forgive me." He spoke as he bowed to the cat and rushed off from the temple.

"How dare he." She said angrily and returned to her altar. The cat hot on her heels as she fell to her knees before the lit flame, she watched as her guardian took residence on one of the statues of Bast in the room and looked down on her protectively. Nefertiri smiled up at the feline before rifling through a bag of hers and producing plants and herbs to toss into the fire. She immediately took to praying, her prayers would last throughout the night and into the morning, her body was receptive to all Bastet had to give.

It was Goddess Nut beginning to give birth to Ra that pulled Nefertiri from the temple hours later. The dark sky was slowly turning with oranges and reds. Her vision fought to clear as she stumbled down the steps onto the city road. Her body was beyond weak from the days of fasting that had been necessary for her purification and as she stumbled on towards the Nile, she could feel her legs failing her, causing the princess to fall to her knees. The exhaustion overtook her, and her vision went dark. It was the warm, strong grip that woke her, in addition to the fresh cool waters of the Nile touching her lips. As her eyes fought to open, she immediately realized she had not been out long, as the sky still contained dark shades of the night in it.

"Good Morning, my princess." His voice was soft and vibrated through her body and into her core. Despite her previous purification, she immediately felt dirty.

She imagined the look in her eyes reflected in his own as he cupped the water and brought it to her lips. She drank hungrily. The cold liquid coated her dry and parched throat the same way she wished he would do to the rest of her. She struggled to find strength in her body and attempted sit on her knees before quickly looking around to see they were the only ones who dared to be awake at this hour near this part of the Nile. She smiled as her hand wrapped around the back of his neck and pulled him into her, her tongue darting into his mouth and claiming him as her own. She hummed as he gave in and met her ferocity with that of his own.

She felt her hand land on his thigh and slowly travel upwards, enticing him with all of the wonders she could grant him. His breathing hitched into their kiss and she smiled coyly as she found the evidence she longed for; she did affect him the same way he did her.

"My Princess, please." He begged, pulling his lips from hers, but refusing to leave her skin. His kisses and nips along her neck pulled a small gasp from deep within her. "I am sorry." He choked out pulling away from her and releasing her begrudgingly.

"No! No, Rai. I am at fault. I am coaxing you from your vows." She said quickly, pulling his head up so their eyes met. Her hands on each side of his face, cupping his cheeks.

"Loving you is the biggest sin, yet I would gladly face an eternity alongside Osiris in the bowels of the Underworld for you."

"One day, we will be together my love. Free to be as we are, hopelessly in love."

"I wish to claim you as mine." He spoke, his voice direct and so sure of itself. A tear escaped her eye and rolled down her cheek, he wiped it away and placed a soft kiss on her lips. He began to move her back, ready to take her there amongst the bank of the Nile.

"Rai, wait!" She couldn't believe it, not today. Of all days for him to want her, after years of trying to persuade him to break his oath and that she was only his, he would have to pick today. "I have been purified for today's blessings to the people. I cannot tarnish my rites and make offerings to Bastet with dishonor. Not when the lives of my father's people depend on it."

It killed her to tell him no, broke her heart to push him off her. She knew she may never get another chance, that his lapse in judgment was a spur of the moment thing. That he would take this as a sign from the God's to never try again. She hated the timing and wished to curse the God's for this joke. He would no doubt think this over and she may never get another chance again. She would have let him have her, allowed him to defile her right there, her own oath's and purification be damned, but not with the blessings later that day. She would not risk her relationship with the Goddess and ask the people to suffer, it wasn't right to them.

"I want you Rai, truly I do. But I cannot today. I am so sorry."

"Someday soon, I will take you as mine." He promised, and her heart sung. Clearly, he had thought this over since that last time they had spoken, and she had coaxed him into her room unsupervised. They had only kissed that night, but she had asked for more, as she always did. Now, she was finally getting what she wanted.

"I am yours, only yours." She cried tears of joy as she kissed him.

Soon she would stand before Bastet as the virgin priestess and ask for blessings for the people of her land. She would ask to bless the new mothers, the mothers to be and those who begged to be mothers, and for the final time lead a prayer and submit an offering for a healthy land. Tonight, she would make Bastet her final offering, her purity, and in so doing allowing the Goddess to do with her new vessel as she pleased.

**Egypt 1937 AD, Unknown number of miles from Memphis **

Alex looked the limestone door over. Most of the carvings had been damaged by his mother it was hard to tell what any of them said. Her blood covered the top half in a mess of fingerprints and a smeared palm. If he hadn't seen this warning being made himself, he would have seriously feared trying to enter whatever secret the door kept locked away.

Behind him he could hear the diggers muttering amongst themselves in Arabic. The ones who were new to digging questioned why someone would destroy such history, while the diggers who knew of the O'Connell's explained his mother was never like that. This had led into chatter about a curse and needing to leave the sacred ground alone.

"NO! We move forward!" Alex called in Arabic, silencing the men behind him. "We need to open this door." He said, his hand hovering over where his mother's blood has been spilt.

He backed up slightly and watched as several men moved forward to start their work. Alex turned and picked up a few tools to aid them. In the distance his mother sat in the tent, his father sitting next to her closely and talking. His Uncle could be seen walking towards the now working crowd with a few tools of his own. Alex smiled, he was starting to feel like himself again, and despite everything that had taken place, Jonathan looked better than he had in a long while.

"Evy, honey. You want to tell me what's going on?" Rick asked taking a seat next to his wife while watching his son in the distance look over the object of his wife's 'rage'. He heard Alex yell something to the diggers and motioned for Jonathan to join the boy and give them some space. The English man was all too happy to leave his sister alone with her husband, he didn't even know where to begin on handling her situation.

"It's nothing, darling." She muttered, taking a swig from the canteen he offered her.

"Baby, you just demolished 3,000 years of history and smeared your blood all over it." He explained, lightly nudging her left leg with his right.

"I…I don't know, Rick."

"Sweetheart, I just need to know you're alright. I'm worried."

Her head lifted and their gazes met, her heart broke for him as her throat tightened up and tears formed behind her eye threatening to spill. She was hurting him, and this wasn't fair. He needed to know, she promised herself the moment it started to affect 'them', as a family, she would tell him everything. She inhaled deeply before placing her hand on his face and gently cupped his cheek. She had his undivided attention, now was the time to tell him her secret.

"I could see what I was doing, but I couldn't stop it. I didn't want to." Her hand fell from his cheek and into her lap.

"Why not? Honey, what are you talking about?" His hand reached up to push a stray lock of hair from her face and tuck it behind her ear.

"Nefertiri convinced me it was all for the best." She paused as he sucked in a sharp breath of air. "That, what lies behind that door needs to remain there. There is more to her story than she's telling me."

"How do you know you can trust her? I mean, assuming Nefertiri is trying to come forth for whatever reason, and if she even can…why?"

"She can." Evy whispered, almost ashamed. "She came back with me."

"What? When? How?" Rick asked lifting her head to look her in the eyes. "Evy, what are you talking about?" A tear rolled down her eye, he wiped it away, confused over everything his wife was telling him. Surely, she wasn't insinuating what he thought, no it's impossible. He just wasn't hearing her correctly.

"When I…in Ahm Shere…" Rick could feel his blood turn to ice as she mentioned the name of that hellish place. Felt his heart stop and he understood what she was referring too. "And Alex…." He nodded, begging her to continue, that she didn't need to say it, he understood. "She came back with me. I could always feel here there, right under my skin, and in the back of my head. For a while I thought it was just…everything that had happened. But after being home in London for a few month's I could still feel her. She showed me things, she showed me her world. It's why I was so convinced we were lover's in a past life. She showed me we were."

She jumbled everything out at once, afraid she'd lose her nerve and fail to tell him. It was silent between them both. Rick was processing, she understood, it was a whole lot to take in. She noticed the time seemed to stop, he looked frozen in his seat, his eyes were boring a hole into the sand. She expected him to be mad at her, for lying. For hiding this big of a secret from him. She had never hidden anything from him before, she had a feeling it's why their marriage was so strong, why they still loved each other madly. They shared everything and talked often. But this…she had betrayed him, and not even out of malice, but out of fear for her own understanding, for fear of how it might affect their home. Would he think her mad and have her sent to Bethlem?

She expected him to be mad, to yell at her, tell her she was a fool for believing what she did. Instead, he did the opposite. He locked eyes with her and embraced her into a hug, his large hand covering her back as their chests met from the odd angle they sat in.

"Evy…something big and traumatic happened to you out there, this could just be your way of dealing with it. It can't be possible for her to follow you home." He mumbled into her ear; she could feel tears pouring down her face. Of course, this would be his reaction, he was still the love of her life after all. She chided herself for thinking anything less of him.

"After everything we've seen, that's where you draw the line?" She asked, her face looking hurt as he pulled away. She needed his strength more than she thought.

"That's not what I meant."

"I know…it's hard to hear. It was hard to me to accept, but Rick…I can hear her at times. Not like I hear you, or Alex, but like a calling to my soul. When we first arrived in this place, I could feel my blood running on excitement and my body vibrating."

"Evy." He muttered, it was hard to hear this, it was even harder to accept. To think she had been struggling with this secret for years without him. Why didn't she tell him? He knew why, she didn't want to scare him. If there was nothing to be done to fix it, what good was worrying him? Still, he wanted to know, deserved to know. They could have feared this together, he would always be there for her.

"It's not often. She's been mostly just showing me things, like my visions and dreams before." He nodded in understanding. There were times when she would lock herself in their home library and he wouldn't see her for even a few days at a time. It worried him, but she was in the safety of their home, what could really go wrong? Besides, she always managed to crawl into bed alongside him during the nights, it was evident they relied on each other more than they thought. "We were very much in love despite the rules back then." She blushed, she actually blushed. Rick felt his heart pang. "It wasn't until we arrived here that I began to feel her again after a long while. Whatever purpose she serves within me, it has to do with this place here."

"What is the purpose of all this then?" Rick asked, trying not to let his fear leak through.

"I don't know, she won't show me just yet." "

Well she better hurry Evy, your blood has been spilt, which means hers has too."

Evy's eyes widened in fear over his words. The realization hitting her full force. Nefertiri hadn't meant to spill her blood, when Rick had pulled the pickaxe from her hand, it had sliced open her skin. Nefertiri had thrown her hands over the door in hopes to cover the writing, she was completely unaware of the blood or the open wound. Shouting from the distance pulled the couple away from one another and caused them to look towards the source of the noise. Alex stood proudly as the diggers all cheered, the door had been opened. Evy could feel a chill course through her body, her stomach twisted, and bile rose to the back of her throat. This was not good.

**Thebes 1300 BC**

Rai watched in the distance with the other Medjai as his princess performed her rituals and, with the aid of Bastet, cast blessings amongst their people. She wore all white, as was customed, and was surrounded by different colored cats who rubbed against her feet and purred as she prayed on. He watched from his distance, as men were not allowed to attend this blessing up close. He locked eyes with the Pharaoh's son, Rameses. Soon the man would take over this land and rule it as he sought fit, he would lead his soldiers into war to fight on his behalf, much like Seti did now.

Rai felt his heart drop, it was no secret that as Bastet's right hand, Rameses was promised Nefertiri as his bride. Where she would serve her purpose as the bearer of the new heir before being allowed to embrace the sexuality side of Bastet and bare healthy offspring to any other man who was allowed to lay with her. He could feel his heart swell, she would be his and he would be hers, and no one else's.

"May Bastet bless this union and Ra forgive me." He muttered into the slowly approaching night. Soon they would give into their carnal desires and consummate their love. Rules be damned!

**Ok so, short chapter I know. It's just a little back story before we kind sink into the small plot I have forming in the back of my mind. I finished my schoolwork early for this, but if you could please review, it would make it all worth wild. Thank you!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Reviews fuel me :) Thank you to those who have left such kind words. I hope I am doing you as the readers and this fandom some justice.**

Evy felt herself walking towards the recently opened entrance as if in a trance. Something was beckoning her forward and into the darkened unknown; however, with each step, she could feel something, or perhaps someone, holding her back. She could sense Rick behind her, following a safe distance behind, but he felt miles away as each step brought her closer and closer to the now opening of the temple. The diggers all to quickly cleared a path as if welcoming her home while Alex and Jonathan watched on, frozen in their spots.

As Evy approached the door, her hand absently ran over where her blood was now smeared and dry. She could hear the blood flowing in her ears and her heart beating rapidly while her hands lightly shook. Upon her first step over the threshold of the temple she could see a set of stone stairs leading her down into the black abyss and almost instantly…everything stopped. It was quiet, a deadly quiet that shook her to the very core and as she turned to look behind her, she was shocked to see everyone present and watching her. Rick appeared to be talking to Alex, but no sound had escaped his mouth, instead he appeared to be just be mouthing random things while Alex and Jonathan nodded to mimic listening. Before Evy could move any further into the darkened opening, the ground started to shake violently.

As if a spell had been broken screaming and shouting had filled the air. Rick had leapt forward, grabbed his wife around the waist and pulled her from the tunnel, successfully saving her from the door caving in around her. Evy watched, having now been pulled from her trance as the diggers took off towards the camels they had arrived with, leaving behind their tools and other essentials in their desperate attempt to get out.

When the shaking had ceased only the four of them remained. Alex was flat on his back on the sand, looking confused while Jonathan had taken a tumble backwards and rolled down a small hill, one Evy didn't recall ever being there. Rick was on his back as well and his tight grip on her waist held her to his chest, so she didn't accidently roll off and away from him.

"Has it stopped?" Jonathan asked, attempting to stand on his feet in order to get his baring's about him.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Alex called coughing from the sand in his mouth.

"LANGUAGE!" Evy called as Rick's hold on her loosened as she fell to his side, looking up to the clear blue sky and scorching sun.

"Are you alright?" Rick worried pushing hair form her face.

"I'm fine Rick." She muttered, suddenly regretting telling him anything from their earlier conversation. She didn't want him to baby her, she just wanted him to know what was going on, of course how could she do that, when she herself didn't even know? She chided herself for snapping at him and made sure to lock eyes with an apologetic glance as he lifted her to her feet.

The four of them stood up and dusted the sand from their hair and clothes before looking about their surroundings. Amongst the shaking it appeared several structures had been unearthed. Ahead, their tent lay on its side as it now rested unevenly on a set of stairs leading down into the ground. Hills, or what appeared to be tiny mountains came up alongside them while the tops of what could only be described as buildings began to peak through the ground.

"Are we atop a city?" Jonathan asked looking around their newly developed setting. He slowly walked down from where they were towards the camp, careful as the slope of sand turned into stairs.

"Look at those!" Alex called out, pointing to the spot the diggers once resided now stood two large statues of a black cat as if representing the entrance to something.

They appeared to be over 15 feet tall and, from where Evy stood, looked as if they had just been built as opposed to having just emerged from the sand. Beyond them rested the quiet desert while behind her the temple door had collapsed and blocked any access to the stairs that lay behind the fallen rubble. Evy exhaled, it couldn't be. It was impossible, there was no way they had found the city.

After a long evening of getting their things back in order, the family of four finally reset up their camp and tried to sleep through the night, knowing if they had left so late in the day, their chances of survival were slim given the harsh terrain they had to cross just to get to their dig site. Alex had stood up in the corner, watching out past the 15-foot cat statues for any sign of life in the desert and was shocked to find none. Even as a small wind that blew around them appeared to not affect the sand inches from the statues. As Evy lay awake, she listened to the world around her, she watched as her brother slept soundly and her son attempted to stay up until sleep claimed him as well. She could feel fear within her as Rick's warm breath blew on the back of her neck, something was indeed coming, and she wasn't sure if they could stop it.

It was the sound of bird's chirping and the blinding light hitting her eyes that woke Evy up the next morning, and as she stirred in her husband's arms, he began to awaken as well. Quickly getting to her feel, Evy took in her new surroundings, shocked so much had changed overnight. Before her very eyes rested a city that had not been there the night before, a city with the whitest buildings that it almost glowed in the sunlight. Below her rested a large oasis with clear blue water and lush green trees, along the stairs she stood upon now rested little buildings that could only be used as homes while behind her a large temple now rested. Evy had to blink to take in her surroundings, none of this appeared to have been buried beneath tons of sand less than 24 hours ago and if she didn't know better she would have sworn they had been moved in the middle of the night. However, the two 15-foot statues of the black cats solidified her belief that they had not been moved, but that the city had risen around then while they slept. Between the two cat statues rested a large door with hieroglyphics on it, the door appeared to be tall, leading her to believe the statues had grown as well and though now a great distance away, she was almost positive they had.

"It's beautiful!" Alex said taking in the lush greens and the preservation of the city that looked to have been built yesterday, but with an ancient theme.

"Where are we?" Jonathan asked no one in particular, both her brother and son were oblivious to the fact there was no escape, they were stuck here until the gate below opened, and if memory served it wouldn't from their end.

"Evy? What is this place?" Rick asked in confusion as he took in each new piece of the city that had not been there before.

"I'm not certain, but if I had to guess…Zerzura."

Alex looked back at his mother, eyes wide. Jonathan looked at his sister in disbelief and Rick looked down to his wife, curiosity etched into his features.

**Thebes 1299 BC**

Nefertiri looked into the fire, her eyes glazed over and distant. She mindlessly threw some herbs into the flames and prayed tiredly, tears starting to form and fall from her closed eyes. She should have known better; she should have known eventually this would have all come to pass. Bastet was the Goddess of fertility and as her priestess she was a sacred vessel for the goddesses doing. It was her purpose to be a mother, but why now? Her hand rested over her still flat stomach, as her tears fell into the fire pit. Her brother would be furious, her father outraged, and in the end, her child would be without a father, that's if she were allowed to keep it.

Her tears poured from her eyes now as the black cat at her feet rolled onto it's back and purred. Not sure if she was being mocked or promised protection, Nefertiri sat in her spot in silence.

"I'm sorry. I am so sorry." She muttered into the temple, her sobs echoing back into her own ears before her body gave into exhaustion and she collapsed onto the temple floor defeated.

Nefertiri stood in the main hall of her father's temple and awaited his arrival. She had contemplated her decision long and hard and sadly enough was left with no other choice than to tell her brother and father the gut-wrenching news. Soon she would be unable to hide her misdeeds and she knew it was better to tell her secret without the world figuring it out on their own.

"Ah, my daughter." Her father called, his hands cradling her face as he approached her and placed his forehead against hers. "You have been in the temple praying far too much recently, I thought I had lost you to the Gods." He joked, she smiled back and cast her gaze to her brother who was now smiling smugly.

"Father, might we speak alone?" She muttered as he pulled away.

"We are alone, with your brother as future pharaoh he is here as if I were here alone." He looked his daughter over curiously; she knew better than to ask a future pharaoh to be dismissed from anything.

"That is not what I meant father." She whispered now, her gaze casting to the side where his father's concubine stood in the shadows, watching the interaction with her own eyes.

"Ah, yes. Of course, Anck-su-namun! Give me the area with my children." The woman's eyes squinted in scrutiny to the princess before bowing and leaving the open hall. "Now, what news have you from our great Goddess, Bastet?"

"Father, I come with news, however it is not the kind neither you nor Rameses wish to hear."

"Surely, you do not mean to push me aside yet again. A future ruler is needed to take my place should something become of me once I take the throne."

"Rameses you have years to have a worthy heir born. My condition has nothing to do with you." She shot back, the tears streaming from her eyes over the anger she felt towards her brother's narcissism.

Seti looked his daughter over, her behavior and outburst were nothing to how she normally acted. She was usually so calm and reserved, making his other children look like infants in her wake. He quickly stood in between his two eldest children to deflect them from one another, knowing his next question would be a difficult one if he was correct.

"Nefertiri? Are you with child?" Her gaze fell from her father's and her head hung low; he could only assume she was crying.

"Are you serious? You are with child and the heir is not my own?" Rameses bellowed out, his voice bouncing off the limestone and back into their ears.

"GUARDS!" Seti called, and almost instantly a group of Medjai swarmed into the room.

Nefertiri felt her heart sink, her body freeze. Her father was going to have her executed. She locked eyes with Rai as he followed in with the other's and his gaze moved quickly to his king. They all stood at attention and looked the family of three over, awaiting their orders.

"Have Rameses removed from my sight!" Instantly the 6 Medjai grabbed onto the prince and pulled him out of the temple screaming at his sister as he went. "My daughter…" He pushed softly, using his hand to cup her cheek and raise her head to meet his eyes. She let out a long exhale, shocked the Medjai had taken her brother away and not herself. "Ignore your brother, he is lost in his own mind of power and immaturity. May the Gods bless me with a long life so that his rule may be short."

Nefertiri smiled at this and chuckled along with her father. She wished to the Gods he was right. Ramses was too hot headed and immature for the throne. The man had a lot of growing to do before he would be ready to rule a kingdom. She felt her laughter turn to sobs and she embraced her father and cried in his arms. His grip on her tightened in an effort to comfort her and hold her up from collapsing on him.

"I am so sorry father." It was the first thing she had spoken in quite some time and her body heaved violently with her sobs.

"Now, now, none of that." He said pulling her out at arms-length to rid her of her tears. "I assume this interaction was wanted?"

Nefertiri nodded her head as her hand fell to her stomach for the first time in front of her father.

"Who is the man?" Her father's eyes seemed dark now, as if her next answer would determine her own life. "One of my men?"

"No father!" She lied all too quickly, hoping he wouldn't see the truth in her eyes and let this one issue pass without further inquiry, yet his gaze pushed for more information. "Your men all have wives and homes, families I have helped bless. Bastet would never forgive me of such a deed. Your other men have all vowed to Ra their undying devotion, none of them will even look at me that way, knowing whom I serve."

"Who is the man that has placed you in this position?"

"Nobody more than a weary traveler. A man who begged for a safe place to rest his head one night while I was heading home from the temple. I was in the way of pointing him to a safe place when Bastet spoke to me to welcome him into my bed. I was in no position to deny the Goddess her request."

"No, I assume not. It's only natural you would carry a child from that interaction. Serving the Goddess of fertility." Nefertiri smiled for it had been far more than just one interaction that had led here to where she stood now.

"Father, I do not believe she wished me to give Rameses a child."

"Bastet knows more than anyone the strength in a man."

"I have failed you father."

"Nefertiri, you are my favorite child. Tell your siblings that and I will deny it." She chuckled at that. "There is nothing you can do to fail me. You have performed the Goddess wishes and are now carrying the gift she will give the world."

"What of Rameses?"

"I am still pharaoh, am I not?" She nodded. "What I say goes. We will tell the kingdom the child is Rameses. With this babe born of your own flesh and blood it is still a royal, and still has a claim to the throne."

"Thank you, father." She bowed before him.

"Nefertiri, if this child is female and you do not present your brother with a male offspring, his first concubine to do so will push your daughter away from the throne, much in the same way I pushed your mother away from ruling."

Nefertiri nodded her head and bowed out from the hall. Her feet carried her out to the Nile's edge where Rai awaited her in the reeds quietly. As she embraced him, she could feel her body humming, his hands smoothed down her long hair and his lips sent electricity through her as they kissed. She held onto him furiously before pulling away to look him in the eyes. She loved this man more than anything but dreaded tell him the news of their actions. Soon he would be a father, but he would be forced to watch his child grow up from afar without his child knowing who he really was.

**Egypt 1937 AD- Zerzura**

"How can this be Zerzura? It's nothing more than a myth, a simple bedtime story." Jonathan said looking the bright white oasis over.

"So was Hamunaptra." Evy muttered back, still unable to believe all of this had risen from the ground whilst they slept.

"And Ahm-Shere." Alex agreed, he cringed slightly at the name of the place, but was in awe to notice if anyone else did as well.

"Question." Rick spoke up. "What is Zerzura?" He nudged his son when he received no answer from the awe-stricken siblings and was shocked when his son actually shrugged his shoulders.

"No clue, but…it's beautiful." He muttered as different colored birds flew by them and down towards the large lake of water.

"Zeraura, was…as Jonathan said…a bedtime story our mother told us as children." Evy said turning to her husband as their son listened closely.

"It was called, 'The White City' for how it glowed bright as the sun hit the buildings and the sand." Jonathan said looking down to the sand beneath its feet, shocked at how pure and white it was, as if crumbled from marble itself.

"It was once referred to as 'The City of Little Birds' because of how the city is white like a dove, also for all the different species of birds you will find within its gates." Evy looked over to her brother. "It's said Egypt's treasures rest under the sand here, some that have never seen the light of day, and that protecting it are a king and queen, both sleeping and awaiting the arrival of any one to disturb them."

"Many men have searched for Zerzura and no one has ever come close to finding it. Mother said anyone whoever did would meet their demise at the hands of the 'black giants'."

"They were said to be made of black Chalcedony and be over twenty feet tall. They were the guardians of this land and if anyone saw the inside, they…would never get out." Evy trailed off near the end, reminding herself they were the ones on the inside.

"You mean like those twenty-foot-tall statues of Bastet?" Alex asked pointing to the two matching black cat statues that served as the gate holder.

"Yes." Evy whispered. "The gate is locked from the outside, it's impossible to get out."

"So, how so we leave?" Rick asked.

"I'm not sure. Hopefully the diggers make it back and send help, until then, it's hard to say what we should do. This land didn't just rise from the ground for no reason, and I am certain Nefertiri has some business here. I am hopeful she will find a way to get us home."

"Terrified digger's or a 3,000-year-old Egyptian Princess doesn't really seem helpful, sis." Jonathan spoke up.

Rick felt Alex tense at his side and followed the boy's line of vision to see several dozen cats approaching them. They took the path of the stairs towards the family of four and as they got closer Rick was shocked to see them go from walking on all fours to their hind legs. Their features shifted from that of a feline to a more human nature. Evy's grip tightened on her husband's arm as he pulled his family close, he had even managed to grab onto Jonathan and shove the stunned English man behind him. Before their very eyes the dozen or so cats were now full-fledged human's and standing inches from the family with spears at the ready.

One man got as close to Rick as three inches from his face before speaking. His words came out as a shout as he threatened Rick with a spear inches from his neck. He continued to push his family behind him as the man continued to speak in his ancient tongue, his spear never wavering as the man behind him threatened to attack once given the word. Despite his guns and heavy arsenal of bullets, he doubted he could take them on without putting his family's life at risk and instead looked on completely confused with his next course of action.

**Ahm Shere 1933**

Evy could feel the cold, solid steel of the blade push into her flesh and rip through her internal organs. She could feel the jolt of her body as the weapon was pulled out furiously and replaced with the blood now exiting the open wound. Her knees gave way under her and in the distance she would hear the blood curdling scream of her husband as he pushed towards her. Her brother had been flung off into the sand not far from her, and it pained her to know this would be her son's last memory of her.

That he would grow old, meet a nice woman and when asked of his mother, the first image to flash before his eyes would be his father taking her slowly slipping form into his arms and turning her on her back. It would be forever engrained in his mind his father desperate for something to stop the bleeding as he struggled to comprehend what was going on, that he himself was also in the process of dying along side her. Her heart ached for her son, he wouldn't be leaving this place with either parent, and she prayed Jonathan could muster up the maturity to care for her son the way he had done for her when their parents died. He had it in him, she was living proof of that, well had been living proof.

"Take care of Alex." She begged him, knowing it was falling on deaf hears, hopefully maybe her brother heard. "I love you." And she did, so much. He was her everything. She had once been a bookish librarian adamant on spending her life alone or with a man who would restrain her from what she loved.

Instead she found him, a dashing legionnaire who had shown her the world, shown her how to shoot a gun and given her the confidence to never take no for an answer. She wished one day Alex would meet someone who brought out his best like Rick had in her. She had hoped for many more years with him but was beyond grateful for the time she had. Her world faded to black, the cold dissipated, and she felt nothing.

Suddenly, as if all at once, she could feel another presence nearby, sense the warmth of someone approaching, as if a piece of her were returning home to make her complete. She didn't know how long she had been there or what else was to be expected, but she had a feeling Rick had finally come to join her. What she got instead took her by surprise when a woman resembling herself approached dressed in ancient garb.

"My apologies." She muttered, though she spoke in ancient Egyptian, she had no problem understanding her as if she herself were fluent in the language. "I am sorry for the pain you have went through, I knew Anck-su-namun would recognize you and see you as a threat, I had hoped for this."

"You planned for all of this?"

"Naturally. I needed you to find the bracelet, only I knew where it was and could bring it to the surface, my connection with you allowed that to happen. Given the year of the scorpion, I also knew Anck-su-namun would speak to this woman to awaken Imhotep and bring him back to the mortal world."

"But why?"

"Imhotep would awaken his beloved mistress, both of them traitors for what they did to my father. But I knew she would seek vengeance on…us."

"But why do any of this? I could be home with my husband and son." Tears were streaming from her eyes, the betrayal. Her life was cut short by something, or rather someone, she had trusted.

"Son?" Her gaze shot to the English woman standing before her. "You have a son?"

"Alex, yes. And my husband…"

"Rai…I am glad he found you in this life much as I found him in the last. I had promised him we would be together again; I was just never certain how long it would be."

"Why take me from them?" Evy cried out, the pain stinging her heart.

"There is an evil out there, far greater than Imhotep or the Scorpion King. Something evil hidden beneath the sands of this earth. I brought you here to return with you, for only I can stop it."

"Return?"

"Of course, you have taught your child the ways of your past. He is of your womb, he will know to locate the book of the dead and awaken you, I will return with you."

"You planned this all, just so you could come back?"

"What I have done was not for selfish reasons, I have prevented myself from moving on into the afterlife for a millennia to meet my beloved because I knew this evil would rise. I knew it would return and I was the only one to stop it. I have made it so you and your husband will have years more together and I can correct a mistake I made over 3,000 years ago."

Evy looked to the woman in wonderment and disbelief, unsure if she should believe her when she noticed the other version of herself reach her hand forward and it phased through her own as if one of them were a ghost. Suddenly, she could hear Alex's voice speaking in ancient Egypt and the warmth of life began to flow through her body. Evy chanced a glance to Nefertiri and noticed her looking back with an all-knowing smirk.

**Ok! That was Chapter 4. I am honestly putting off doing homework right now because this chapter hit me all at once today at work. SO I have written it. Chapter 5 may be up soon, I am not sure. Mid terms are coming up and I should be studying. I originally started this fic with no real purpose other than a cute fluff with mild plot, however it seems the plot grew it's own mind so given that I will be continuing, but rest assured the fluff will still be present. Zerzura is an actual mythical city, and I tried to include as many 'facts' as I could while still taking a creative twist to fit the story.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Egypt 1924**

Evy sat at the kitchen table drumming her fingers along the wooden surface. Her gaze remained fixed out the window across the room and though her eyes were filled with tears, none fell. She could hear her heart in her ears pounding wildly as her stomach turned and her head spun. She had to get control over her emotions before he walked through the door, she needed to be stoic when she broke the news to him. How would he take it? Would he be excited? Would he leave her?

A million and one thoughts ran threw her head and each one was worse than the last. Her fingers drummed hard on the table before her palm slammed heavily down and the weight of everything came piling forward. Tears poured from Evy's eyes as she could feel her world spiraling out of control. She had never anticipated this, had thought her life would just consist of her and her brother…and Egypt, of course. She had never let this thought enter her mind, until she walked into the Cairo prison and laid eyes on him.

She had known she was not his type, had assumed anyways, and held no reason to even contemplate such thoughts back then. 6 months ago, he was nothing more than a man who had what she wanted in order to make an archeological find of the century. Within the span of as little as a week, her whole world had changed, and she assumed his had too.

The sound of the door opening and closing made her stop crying instantly. Her stomach turned once more as he called out her name into the empty house. He knew she was going to be out today and was calling out to see if she had arrived home before he did. She listened closely as he assumed, she wasn't home yet, and his footfalls disappeared towards what she was certain was the library.

Evy shot up from her seat at the kitchen table and marched towards the library of her old childhood home. It had a certain feel of home, where as the London Manor her and Jonathan had also grown up in was larger and colder since the passing of her parents. She knew one day they would return to London, she had just never thought it would be so soon. She passed numerous packed boxes and bags of luggage that sat waiting in the parlor and continued towards the library that overlooked her mother's still well-tended garden.

Bembridge Scholars had offered her a job working alongside one of the British Museum curators and she had instantly hoped on the offer, hoping to prove herself worthy of a fully funded expedition one day. Rick had been all too understanding, he didn't want a stay at home wife, he wanted her to be happy and if digging and exploring is what made her that way, then he made it clear he was all too happy to follow. She wondered what he would think now.

"Rick?" Her voice sounded childlike and scared. She quickly cleared her throat, wiped away her tears and smiled softly when her husband's soft eyes met her own. "Can we speak for a moment?"

"Sure, sweetheart. I was just finishing up gathering the books you asked me to bring with us." He informed her, placing a large sized novel into an open box before him. "I didn't hear you come in, were you able to tend to what you needed to get done?"

"More or less." She muttered as she slowly approached his side, running her hands over random volumes of books on the shelves, making it appear as if her hesitance was brought on by reminiscing.

"More or less? Evy just the other day you were running all around this house gathering the things you needed with a spring in your step, now, you seem distant. What's wrong honey?"

By now she was close enough to him that he reached out and pulled her close. Her head resting on his chest as he embraced her tightly. She had been acting weird all of two days now and he couldn't understand what could be wrong. To make matters worse, Jonathan had made himself scarce, proving to Rick something really was wrong and the brother wasn't going to risk spilling the beans. His lips lowered to brush against his wife's forehead when he felt her body softly shaking followed by the feel of a wetness on his chest.

"Evy? Honey, are you crying?" He asked pulling her out at arm's length to see tears streaming from her face. "Ok, now you're starting to scare me. What's wrong?"

"Rick, something has happened."

"What? Evy don't scare me like this, what is it? What's wrong?" His face searched hers for answers and was terrified of what could have her so upset. Only one thought sat at the front of his mind, and he shuttered to think of it.

Despite the fact they had been intimate for five months and married two of them, he couldn't help but think they had rushed through the whole process and now she was having regrets. He knew he wasn't the type of man she saw herself with and had never knew how he got so lucky to find a woman like her, but he dreaded one day she would wake up and realize she had made a horrible mistake. He feared she would turn to him, tell him this had all been a mistake, a rush of adrenaline and Egyptian sun and now she wanted a divorce, that she could never see herself with him for the rest of her life. The thought killed him, she was it for him, there would never be anyone else and the thought of living without her, scared him more than he'd ever like to admit. The fact she now told him something had happened; he felt his heart rip in half. Maybe she met another man, one to her previous qualifications that would suffice for her in the husband department. Someone just as smart as she was, someone who challenged her intellectually and didn't have to go everywhere with two guns at his side.

He assumed one day she would want children, maybe she didn't see him as the fathering type. Hell, he knew he didn't see himself that way. His own father had abandoned him, and he had almost no father figure growing up, anything resembling a mother figure came in the form of one nun or another. He knew nothing about children, but he was willing to learn, for her. He dreaded to know, feared the day had finally come, had she slept with someone else? He didn't take her for that kind of a woman, but if 'something happened' and it had her this upset, what else could it be? As he watched her break down in his arms, whispering "I'm sorry" he could feel all the pain hit him at once. Their once happy life was officially over.

"Evy? Who is he?" He finally asked, causing her breath to hitch, he took that as a sign he was right. He fought with his own emotions not to cry. He thought he'd be mad, hell he could handle anger, but the gut-wrenching disappointment was much worse, he had never really felt this emotion. Even when he was a boy after his mother died and father left, he had never felt this kind of hurt before. "I'm not mad, Evy." He fought to get the words out. "Who is he?"

"Who is who?" She pulled away from him and their eyes locked, she looked utterly confused. "What do you mean, 'who is he'?" Her tears had stopped, and she looked to him confused.

"You said something happened….I thought…"

"That I cheated on you?" It wasn't an angry accusation. It was a simple question; she was asking if she understood him correctly. His silence spoke volumes to her. "I love only you, never anybody else Rick, never. I would never betray you like that. I care too much for you."

Her hand stroked his face as his body slumped over. The heavy weight dissipated, and his breathing became easy as a lone tear broke free from his face. Relief washed over him as she brushed his tear away and he all too quickly held her close. Now he whispered to her he was sorry. Sorry for his lapse in judgment, sorry for thinking she was ever capable of such a thing, sorry for letting his insecurities get the best of him, sorry for ever thinking her love was anything but pure for him.

He followed her over to a settee that sat in the corner of the room and allowed her to soothe him. He had been crushed by his own thoughts and hated himself for ever thinking such things about it. She was the only good thing in his life, the only thing pure and honest. How could he lower her to the level of the people in his past? Not his Evelyn, she was better than all of that, his guiding light.

"I'm sorry, Evy."

"Rick, I know you've been hurt. I would never purposely do anything to aid in that."

"I know, I'm sorry. You've never given me reason to doubt you, you just…scared me, I thought the worse."

"I love you." Their lips met in one of the tenderest kisses they had ever shared. Rick could swear she was defeating any doubts he may have ever had, and he could only hope he was doing the same for her. Abolishing her fears and installing hope in her so that she wouldn't hurt anymore.

"What was it you wanted to tell me?" Rick asked, his forehead resting against hers while their hands held each other. He felt her body tense and looked into her eyes to see what had her so worried.

"Rick, I found a few things out earlier this week, and I feel I can't hide this from you. I hope this doesn't change anything, but if…what I say next scares you away…I understand."

"Evy, what are you talking about? I don't plan on going anywhere without you."

"Rick…I know we haven't known each other very long, and we've only been married two months now." He nodded in a gesture to show he was following everything she was saying. "Being with you has been amazing, I feel as if we were made for each other, as ridiculous as that might sound."

"Not at all, I feel the same way." He agreed cupping her face in his palm and lightly brushing his thumb against her soft cheek. "What are you trying to tell me, Evy? Whatever it is, just tell me, please."

"Rick…I'm pregnant." The words hit him at full force, he couldn't believe it, he never imagined that would be the thing she was terrified to tell him. He had to admit, only one thought entered his mind in that moment, 'she's mine, forever. She's having my baby and now she'll never leave me.' He hated to sound selfish, but the idea of them having a child together only solidified the fact that they were together forever.

"God, Evy" was all he got out as he embraced her tightly, holding her close and placing kisses on her face and neck. "A baby." He noticed she was smiling now, happy he wasn't going to walk out on her nor was he angry. She gave out a giddy laugh as she hugged him as well. "I'm not going to lie, I have no idea how to be a father, but I'll try my best."

"I would never ask anything more from you." She muttered as their lips met.

**Thebes - 1299 BC**

Nefertiri sat along the shore of the Nile river watching as the fisherman arrived home for the day. She could feel the usual Summer heat dying down and a cool breeze coming off the water's bank. She allowed her hand to roam over the large bulge that was now her stomach.

She had spoken to Rai immediately upon finding out their multiple trysts had led to a child. He had been excited to know they were going to be parents, but terrified for what it meant regarding his vows. She had promised his identity was to remain a secret and with suggestion from her father, Rameses would claim the child was his own. Rai hadn't been too fond of the idea, but if it meant he could watch his child grow up, he was willing to accept it. This also meant Rameses would have no reason to sleep with his sister and could start taking his own brides, resulting in his own heirs being born.

Rai had seen her a few days prior without the Medjai knowing and had spent most of his day with his love and their unborn babe. Part of him wished he could be the father to his child, but another part knew if they were found out they would both be shunned from the kingdom. Instead Nefertiri would be allowed to mother their offspring while he was allowed to watch from a safe distance.

Within the next couple of months Nefertiri would give birth to the next possible king of Egypt, something that terrified Rameses if he was forced to leave his throne behind in the future for a child that was not even his own. Nefertiri knew he was hoping she would bare a female so that his first male born would take power. Nefertiri just hoped her secret was never found out and her child could live safely behind the palace walls.

"My princess." His voice was a soft whisper and traveled to her on the next soft breeze, rustling in the reeds that surrounded her from where she sat enjoying the peaceful world around her.

"My protector." She whispered back as he knelt behind her and allowed his warm hands to run down her even warmer shoulders.

She hummed lightly in the back of her throat as her head rolled back to rest on his right shoulder. He caressed her skin as he made his way down to the protruding flesh that was her stomach. He couldn't believe his child lay right beneath the skin growing with every passing second. He had never imagined himself a father, had taken his vows all too seriously, had sworn to never once think of a woman in the lustful way. Yet after years of training and growing up alongside the princess, something in him had switched and he had all too quickly cast aside his promises…all for her. He struggled to think what life would have been like had he stayed true to his training. There would be no baby of his, and she would not be so at peace in her place as a mother. She would more than likely be caring Rameses's child now, he had saved her and in turn, she had saved him.

"He likes to kick." She muttered as he left her stomach move beneath his hands.

"He will make a great warrior."

"Like his father."

"May his rein be long and fruitful." She giggled softly at the smile gracing his face.

"Rameses will not stand for him taking the throne. But father insists the people will."

"If he is the first-born male of royal blood…he will." She allowed her left hand to climb up his forearm before running through his hair and pulling him towards her mouth for a soft kiss. "Our child will be a ruler. I can feel it in my blood. He will do many of great things."

"Your opinion is far too bias as it's father." She giggled back, kissing him again.

**Egypt- 1937 AD Zerzura**

Rick looked to the man holding the sharpened spear to his neck. Behind him he could feel Jonathan holding onto Alex and Evy trying to look over his shoulder, desperate to see what was going on. The man started speaking to the family of four, his accent thick and his words muddled together. Rick looked at him confused, desperate to convey his lack of understanding and prove they were no threat to the people or the land.

"Uh, Evy?"

"Don't look at me, I don't speak Akkadian."

"What?"

"Rick, these people are not from this land, they don't speak Arabic or Ancient Egyptian."

"Not from this land? Evy they just sprang out of the sand with the rest of this city."

The spear at Rick's neck inched closer and lightly pressed against his skin. He could swear the sharp blade pricked him as he felt a drop of liquid run down his neck. These men were not playing around and it was in that moment Rick contemplated he may not survive this journey. Another man from behind the spear-holder started speaking now, his words sounding harsher than the last, but familiar to Rick's ear.

"Jonathan!" Evy got out and Rick could hear a soft slap as he assumed Evy attempted to get her brother's attention.

"Bear with me, my Jewish is extremely rusty." He got out before attempting to get a few words out. If it wasn't for their current predicament, Rick would have cringed. He knew enough to know the Englishman was beyond rusty.

Another man spoke now, and Rick could feel the grip on the spear soften just slightly enough for him to breathe normally, but not enough to chance taking the weapon. Rick listened as the third one spoke, his accent thick and language sounding a little more familiar. Rick realized that though none of them spoke English, they were multilingual and attempting to question them before killing them.

"Evy…couldn't hurt." He muttered and felt her nod behind him.

"No, I suppose not." She agreed moving out from behind him and stepping into full view of there would-be attackers. She started to say something in the ancient tongue she had become so knowing in and as they took in her appearance their weapons dropped, clashing to the ground at their feet. Each man of the city fell to their knees and bowed before Evy, muttering what Rick could only imagine were apologies, begging for blessings and forgiveness.

"Uh…It looks like they know you, mum." Alex spoke up from Jonathan's side.

"I have a really bad feeling about this." Rick admitted as the men remained in their bowing position.

"At least we have a way of communicating with them." Evy admitted. Rick shot her a glance over his shoulder. This was not good, not only was it not good, he had a feeling this was going to be very, very bad. That is, if they were lucky enough to survive it.

**Hey guys, I know this chapter is a little smaller than I normally dish out. With this whole craziness going on I am working from home so I don't have as much time to free write, plus my current course for school has SO MUCH WRITING, that by the time I am done with my research papers I am over typing and thinking. There are only 6 more weeks of this course, so hopefully I will be better off come next trimester, however I hope to have another chapter up within the next 6 weeks. Just in case I don't, know I plan on continuing, and will return asap. Please review! They keep me going and push me to write.**


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